From Glasgow to the East and the Falkirk Wheel Friday 13th June

The sun shone for a while, then the clouds came over and by the time we made it to the Falkirk and the Water Wheel it was raining.  Wondering what it is? Well at the grand cost of 17.5 million pounds, and some very clever engineering feats from very clever Scottish engineers, it is basically a ride on the Union Canal.

We have done a few of those in the past few weeks, but never on a contraption such as this.  You get in the glass domed boat, and are lifted, water and all, up 35 metres to travel a few miles along the canal. It is the only lift of its kind.

This was part of the Millennium project as well, and Queen Elizabeth opened it.

Hopefully the photos will give an idea of what happens.

We get into the top as that is the lock

Going up

And up and the lever is going down

Ancient Roman wall and the tunnel

The view from the top

Dancing horses

We passed another boat going the opposite way.

Now we are coming down

From there we went over the Firth of Forth Bridge, and took some photos of both the road bridge, and the rail bridge.   A new bridge is being constructed and should open in 2016.

Then we drove a bit closer.

The surrounding areas of land

Over we go

We were standing at Queensburgh when two trains went over the rail bridge, right place at the right time.

River is filthy unfortunately

New bridge in the distance

These eastern towns are rather grimy, and so very old, compared to the western parts, or maybe they haven't found the tins of white paint yet!

But there is pollution, and pollution, at the electricity plant, at the petrol distillery, and all this industry is close to Edinburgh. Any wonder the buildings are all so drab, the coal dust has most probably ingrained itself into the stone exteriors.   No place for photo stops, so basically a day of brain memories!

The distance between Edinburgh and Glasgow is only 50 minutes, and the highways and main roads are excellent.

Then we enjoyed a visit from my cousin, Iain.  Lovely to now have met all my family, and to share my story with them.  My aunt and I are only 2 years apart, so she never really knew her brother, but had an early childhood memory, as he left Glasgow in 1948, when I was born.

Hop in hop off bus tomorrow, and to the sights of Glasgow, then to find where our grandparents lived.